Local Consultant on HIV and TB Local Response (2 positions)

Odessa (United States of America)

Background

UNDP is the UN's global development network advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. As a founding Cosponsor of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), and guided by the health-related SDGs, responding to HIV is one of the organization’s priorities. Under the UNAIDS division of labour, UNDP is responsible for leading the UNAIDS response in addressing dimensions of AIDS related to development, planning and mainstreaming; governance; and human rights, gender and sexual diversity. UNDP is also responsible for providing support to governments in their implementation of policies and programs that protect the human rights of people affected by HIV.

Ukraine has the second-highest HIV prevalence rate in Eastern Europe and accounts for 8 percent of new infections, 25 percent of AIDS-related deaths and 19 percent of persons living with HIV (PLHIV) in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA). Ukraine carries a high burden of tuberculosis (the second largest in Europe) and ranks fourth in the world for its multidrug resistant tuberculosis burden. Ukraine’s HIV epidemic remains geographically concentrated with a belt of regions in the south and east disproportionately affected. Seven regions, six of which are located in the south and east, account for approximately 50 percent of the estimated cases but only 31 percent of the population. In 2016, the highest cumulative number of HIV cases was registered in the following regions and cities: Dnipropetrovsk region – 26,338 (19.8 percent), Odessa region – 19,731 (14.8 percent), Donetsk region – 13,305 (10 percent), Kyiv city – 11,738 (8.8 percent), Mykolaiv region – 8,381 (6.3 percent), and Kyiv region – 6,453 (4.9 percent). Altogether they account for 64.6 percent of all registered cases of HIV in Ukraine. The HIV situation significantly contributes to the TB epidemic in Ukraine.

To address this complicated epidemiological situation, UNDP Ukraine conducted an assessment of Ukraine’s national legal and regulatory framework regarding TB legislation from 2017-2018. The primary aim of a legal environment assessment (LEA) is to identify and review TB, HIV, health and any other related laws, regulations and policies and practices to identify which laws, policies and practices are relevant and have an impact in the national response to TB. The outcome of the National TB LEA was the development of actionable, evidence-informed and human-rights-based recommendations for an effective TB and HIV response by UNDP and the Stop TB Partnership. The set of recommendations was made to strengthen the legal environment, including through law review and reform, programmes to increase awareness of rights and access to legal services and to improve law enforcement.

In April 2016, Kyiv signed the Paris Declaration on the Fast Track Cities initiative (FTCI) and became the first city in EECA committed to ending AIDS. It is envisaged that ending stigma and discrimination is the key to Ending AIDS, and one of the main requirements of the Fast Track Cities Initiative. Following the political commitment made by Kyiv Mayor Klitschko, the Kyiv City HIV Council developed the Fast Track Programme 2017-2021 with the target of having 82 percent of PLHIV on ART. In February 2017, Odessa became the second city to sign the Paris Declaration, and there are ongoing discussions on the possibility of Dnipro joining the Fast Track Cities initiative.

In line with this, the UNDP is seeking the services of 2 Local Consultant HIV and TB Local Response (one for each city) to support the prioritization and implementation of the HIV and TB LEA recommendations at the city level and development of the Human Right and Healthy City Action Plan in the selected cities (Odessa and Dnipro).

Duties and Responsibilities

MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The main objective of the assignment is to develop the Human Right and Healthy City Action Plan using a participatory approach that will result in implementation of the key recommendations of HIV and TB LEA in one selected city of Ukraine (Odessa or Dnipro). This will be in line with the Fast Track Cities Initiative and contribute to the ongoing FTCI activities. The action plan is to be developed at the city level and based on the stakeholders’ willingness and capacity to implement the planned activities.

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES / SCOPE OF WORK

Identify and examine all important legal and human rights issues described in the HIV and TB LEA report applicable to the selected city of Ukraine (Odessa or Dnipro);

Identify key stakeholders to be consulted and encouraged to participate in the discussions and development of the Human Right and Healthy City Action Plans;

Conduct SWOT analysis of the local HIV and TB context and epidemiological situation in the selected cities;

Conduct stakeholders’ inception meetings and consultations for promoting an inclusive and participatory approach to the Human Right and Healthy City Action Plans, legal and human rights issues in which the voices of all key stakeholders are heard, and the rights of vulnerable groups are considered;

Raise awareness and promote the recommendations from the Global Commission on HIV and the Law with key stakeholders by conducting meetings with local administration representatives, decision-makers, law enforcement representatives and local CSOs;

Select and prioritize the proposed HIV and TB LEA recommendations for the local level context during inception meetings and consultations with the local stakeholders and authorities’ representatives;

Coordinate the efforts on planning the human rights activities at the regional/local levels;

Attend local and regional events on behalf of the UNDP, cooperate with other UN agencies on health-related issues;

Draft the Human Right and Healthy City Action Plans in the selected city of Ukraine based on the inputs received during the consultations with key local stakeholders, and validate it with local stakeholders and local HIV/TB councils;

Prepare final report, articles for the corporate website, social media and contribute to the interim UNDP reports;

Finalize the Human Right and Healthy City Action Plans based on the inputs received from UNDP CO and other counterparts;

Present the action plans at the local HIV/TB CCM meetings, other joint UN events and promote incorporation of the Human Right and Healthy City Action Plans to local HIV and TB programs;

Provide other consultations to UNDP Ukraine upon request.

Deliverables

Deliverable #

Task description

Deadline

1

Developed detailed work plan with timeline and list of the key city stakeholders to be consulted regarding HIV and TB LEA recommendations (in Ukrainian)

Conduct SWOT analysis of background information about HIV and TB epidemiological situation, response and current activities in the targeted city

By April 30, 2019

2

Conducted stakeholders’ inception meetings and consultations in targeted city (to submit agenda, list of participants, minutes of the meetings and any other related materials)

Draft article for the corporate site (Ukrainian, English)

By July 30, 2019

3

Final report (up to 5 pages in Ukrainian) with relevant annex of the Human Right and Healthy City Action Plan (in Ukrainian and English)

By September 30, 2019

monitoring/REPORTING requirements

Work-progress reporting/monitoring meetings will be held with the Local Consultant on HIV and TB Response on a regular basis. UNDP will be responsible for all quality control and evaluation of work-progress of the performance of Local Consultant on HIV and TB Response. No reports or documents should be published or distributed to the third parties without prior approval of the UNDP.

PROPOSED PAYMENT SCHEDULE

Payments will be made in 3 tranches according to the following payment schedule:

First payment - upon satisfactory submission of deliverables #1- 30%

Second payment- upon satisfactory submission of deliverables #2- 30%

Third payment- upon satisfactory submission of deliverables #3- 40%

MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS

The consultant shall be responsible for managing the process of the work implementation, its resources, logistics and expenditures related to the tasks in timely and accurate manner.

Competencies

Demonstrate/safeguard ethics and integrity;

Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment;

Self-development, initiative-taking;

Act as a team player;

Encourage and participate in open communication in the team, communicate effectively;

Create synergies through self-control;

Manage conflict;

Informed and transparent decision-making.

Required Skills and Experience

Minimum qualifications and experience:

Education:

Advanced university degree in Sociology, Social Work, Public Health, Law, Governance or other relevant area.

Experience:

At least 2 year of relevant experience in project development and implementation;

Previous experience in public health sector (particularly with HIV and TB) or human rights would be a valuable asset;

Fluency in Ukrainian, Russian and English.

DOCUMENTS TO BE INCLUDED WHEN SUBMITTING THE PROPOSALS

Applicants shall submit the following documents:

Personal CV, including information about previous experience in similar projects/assignments and contact details for referees;

Financial proposal;

Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;

FINANCIAL PROPOSAL

Lump sum contract

The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount and sums pertinent to specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables. Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount.

Contract award shall be made to the incumbent whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and

b) having received the cumulative highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

* Technical Criteria weight: 70%

* Financial Criteria weight: 30%

Only candidates obtaining a minimum 70% from the maximum available technical score (49 points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation

The maximum number of points assigned to the financial proposal is allocated to the lowest price proposal and will equal to 30. All other price proposals will be evaluated and assigned points, as per below formula:

The proposal obtaining the overall cumulatively highest score after adding the score of the technical proposal and the financial proposal will be considered as the most compliant offer and will be awarded a contract.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

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Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify.
Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.